Why record moths?

Moth recording has been going on for centuries and is both fascinating and great fun. Opening a moth trap in the morning is like Christmas, with the chance of something new or unusual lurking inside. It is also a great way of seeing what is using your garden under the cover of darkness.

There is of course another, serious side to moth recording. Like many other species groups, moths are in decline in the UK. We lost 62 species of moth from our countryside in the twentieth century, and 81 species are currently a priority for action. Some of our most common moths have declined by more than 90% in recent decades.

Once a very common moth, the Brown-spot Pinion has declined by more than 90% in the last 30 years

As with any species, information on where individual species are and which ones are in the most trouble is vital to their conservation. Regularly running a moth trap in a garden in Church Stretton, when added to all the other moth traps run across the country, is part of piecing together the jigsaw that will help to conserve these beautiful insects.

To find out more about how to record moths, have a look at Butterfly Conservations excellent website.

The County Moth Recorder for Shropshire, Tony Jacques, would be pleased to receive records of moths. To find out more about recording moths in Shropshire, get in touch with Tony by email.